The O Antiphons are about 1500 years old. In the last seven days of Advent, they declare seven names of Christ. They are most commonly known as the verses of the hymn “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.”IIO Adonai, and leader of the House of Israel,who appeared to Moses in the fire and the burning bushand gave him the law on Sinai;Come and redeem us with … Continue reading O Antiphons – O Adonai
The O Antiphons are about 1500 years old. In the last seven days of Advent, they declare seven names of Christ. They are most commonly known as the verses of the hymn “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.”IO Wisdom, coming forth from the mouth of the Most High,reaching from one end to the other mightily,and sweetly ordering all things:Come and teach us the way of prudence.The … Continue reading O Antiphons – Wisdom
She was an ordinary girl. We remind ourselves of it every year at this time. We know nothing about Mary except that she was pledged to be married to Joseph. Later on we get a few hints about her personality, and there is one clue even in the annunciation—the encounter with the angel Gabriel. When he told Mary that God was pleased with her and … Continue reading Same Song, Next Verse
Recently I was in Michigan for a conference, and I rented a car so that I could drive to my friends’ homes and stay with them instead of staying in a hotel. While I’m glad I made those arrangements, in the moment I realized that I had forgotten how fast Michiganders drive. Yikes. I was white-knuckling it in a “mid-size” (small) rental car in commuter … Continue reading
I was asked to record a spot on the local radio station on the day before the national election, but it will air several days later. So please bear with me in this tricky assignment.The atmosphere is charged with the anxiety of this year’s election, and you deserve to hear something that can help you address your concerns. I assume that if you are listening … Continue reading A Pre-Election Essay for Post-Election Anxiety
It happened so fast. We had no idea on Saturday morning that the water was blocking off roads. We had a family graveside to go to in Titonka, and we left with the clothes on our backs at 8:00 a.m. In Spencer, we get flood watches and warnings every spring, so we don’t pay much attention to them. Unless there is a drought—which we have … Continue reading Notes from a Soggy Small Town
He never said, “Be safe.”He saw what they did with the life-giving Law,its walls nowclosing in on soulsmeant to roam free. Perhaps his tears over the citywere not for all her wanderings,but for her fear,her lack of wonder,her contentment with the small,tame worldof scrupulous obedience.He shook her at her core,tumbled the Temple,untamed and tremblingwith wild rage.His love, uncaged,awakens us,invites us out to wildernesswhere questions lurk,beyond … Continue reading Into the Wild
The cousins got to play together once a year, when their parents met in Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. It was a long trek of a few days each way for Mary and Joseph’s family. Jesus was eager to meet up with John, so he had to be patient as helped his mother keep track of his younger siblings. The boys were different … Continue reading The Boys in the River
Christmas Eve 2021 Chances are he won’t recall the holiness and awe of candlelight, “O Holy Night,” the beauty of it all. Perhaps he will, but memory’s strange (my history is a haze); it snatches moments randomly, misplaces years and days. I won’t soon lose the image of his sweet, illumined face, his lips’ attempts to join the song of Love’s divine embrace. My heart … Continue reading One Christmas Eve
Advent 4: Annunciations She thought herself unnoticed, ordinary until the gaze of Joseph lit a flame of love and new awareness in her spirit, an inner warming when he said her name. And then a shocking, wondrous invitation, a privilege and burden never sought. The fiery figure offered explanation: her humble self was hearth divinely wrought. The darkness of our weary lives is broken, our … Continue reading
saint sinner seeker 